Variable paper feeding mechanism for accounting machines



Oct. 14, 1941. w. A. ANDERSON 2,258,695

VARIABLE PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed June 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON (V ATTORNEY Oct. 14, 1941. w. A. ANDERSON VARIABLE PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed June 26, 1940 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N 0 R Y mm m NN R EA 0 WA n I A m m W Patented ct..14, 1943 vanmnm PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING mcnmns Walter A. Anderson, Bridgeport, Gonm, assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 26, 1940, Serial No. 342,546 2 Claims. (Cl. 197-114) This invention relates to accounting machines, and more particularly to improvements in a platen feeding mechanism for the paper carriages thereof.

It is often desirable to use accounting machines for printing single entry amounts on a continuous series of forms such as for example, checks. On such occasions, eflicient machine operation requires automatic multiple line. space advancement of the platen instead of its usual single line space advancement in order that the printing line of each form be moved into printing position immediately after the printing on a preceding form.

A paper feed mechanism of this character is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,027,572, issued to me on January 14, 1936. In this disclosure, reliance is placed upon the use of two gears of high ratio to obtain the amount of platen movement necessary to effect the desired multiple line space advancement of the forms. It has been found in practice that this arrangement is objectionable in that the gearing ratio develops considerable inertia in the platen, causing it to overthrow, with resultant inaccuracy in paper feeding operations. Also, adjustment of this mechanism from single to multiple line spacing presents difficulties when a quick shift from single to multiple line spacing, or vice versa, is desired.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a reliable paper feed mechanism optionally operable to effect either single or multiple line spacing of the platen, and that may be regulated to perform either of'these operations by a simple adjustment of a lever.

A: further object of the invention is to provide a paper feed mechanism which, when in normal position, permits free manual rotation of the platen.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is comprised of relatively few and simple parts, and which may be easily assembled and are inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims, and a preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmental left side elevation of my improved paper feed mechanism showing its connection to pertinent parts of an accounting machine, the parts being shown in normal posi- Eon and adjusted for a multiple line space opera- Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the parts adjusted to position for effecting a :ingle line space and actuated to mid-cycle posi- Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with the parts adjusted to effect a multiple line space operation, and

Figure 4 is a fragmental rear perspective of the paper feed actuating ball.

The invention is shown in connection with a carriage and accounting machine of the general character disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,088,982, issued to Oscar J. Sundstrand on August 3, 1937.

Referring to Figure 1, thepaper carriage l is supported for lateral movement upon rollers 2 in the machine frame 3. The carriage includes end plates such as 4 between which is mounted a platen 5 fixed on a shaft 6 journaled in plates 4. The left endof shaft 6 extends through the left plate 4 and carries a toothed ratchet wheel I fixed thereon. The means for. rotating the ratchet wheel comprises an oscillating arm 8 mounted on shaft 6 between wheel I and plate 4. A pawl ll pivoted on a stud I2 fixed on the arm is arranged to engage the teeth of wheel I during its clockwise and counter-clockwise strokes. and to be disengaged from the teeth at the end of the counter-clockwise stroke, in a manner to be later described.

The mechanism for oscillating arm 8 first clockwise and then counter-clockwise during each cycle of the machine will now be described. A lever l3 pivoted in the machine frame at [4 is connected by a link and crank connection (not shown) to the main rock shaft of the machine, and through these connections, as disclosed in Patent No. 2,088,982 (lever l3 being the same as lever I9 therein), lever I3 rocks first counterclockwise and then clockwise about 45 during each cycle of the machine. A link I5 is connected at its lower end by a pin l6 and slot H with lever l3. The upper end of the link is pivotally and slidably connected as at I8 (see also Figure 4) to a universal rod 2| of a paper feed actuating bail generally indicated at 22, connection l8 permitting lateral travel of the carriage. Bail 22 comprises end plates 23 and 24 connected by a tie rod 25 and rod 2|. studs 26 secured in rearwardly extending arms of carriage end plates 4. Secured onthe upper end of link i5 is a plate 21 (Figure 4) which is The ball is pivoted on slotted to embrace a vertical flange 24 of a bracket ll attached to the rear of the machine frame. Flange 28, cooperating with slotted plate 21, guides the vertical movement of link I! and prevents lateral displacement of the latter during movement of the paper carriage.

The means for connecting link I for movement with lever It comprises a latch 52 similar to that disclosed in the above mentioned Patent No. 2,027572. Batch 22 is pivoted at 22 to link l5,--

and has a slot 34 similar to slot H in lever II that likewise embraces pin I! which is fixed in lever It. At the upper endof slot 24, however, is an angular opening 35 to receive pin II. .A spring 35, connected to link l5 at 51 and to latch 32 at it, normally tends to swing the latch in a direction to cause opening 35 to engage pin II.

when the parts are in normal position, however, as shown in Figure 1, a stud 4| on lever ll engages the right hand edge of the latch and holds the latch against such movement. In this position, slot 34 and slot are in parallel uniform alignment and are concentric with the axis l4. when, however, lever It starts to swing in a counter-clockwise direction at the beginning of a machine cycle, a spring 42 connected to lever l5 and anchored to the machine frame, tends to draw the link downwardly.

Continuing counter-clockwise movement of lever It moves stud 4| away from the latch, per-' mitting spring 38 to swing opening I5into effective engagement with pin it. Consequently, in the remainder of the counter-clockwise movement of lever |3, link i5 is positively pulled downwardly, and in the return or clockwise movement of lever l3, link I5 is positively thrust upwardly, thereby imparting an oscillatory movement to the paper feed actuating ball 22. As the lever l3 completes its return to initial position, stud 4|. thrusts latch 32 to the left, disengaging opening 35 from effective position with pin I5.

The oscillatory movement of ball 22 is imparted to arm 8 through the following train of parts. A link 43 is pivoted at 44 to an extension of end plate 24 and is pivoted at 45 to one arm of shell crank 46 pivoted at 41 on a bracket 48 fixed on plate 4. The opposite arm of hell crank 45 carries a pin 5| lying within a slot 52 in one end of a pitman 53. The opposite end of pitman 53 is pivoted on stud l2 adjacent pawl II on arm 8. A strong spring 54, connected between a stud 55 in the left end'of the pitman and a flange 56 of a bracket 51 secured on plate 4, normally tensions the pitman toward the right, as viewed in Figure 1.

When the parts are in normal position, however, pin 5| bears against the left end of slot 52 and holds the pitman in its normal or left hand position against the tension of spring 54. In this position, pawl I is held out of engagement with the teeth of ratchet 1 against the tension of a spring 58 connected between the pawl and arm 8 by a projection 5| on the pawl striking against flange 55, as shown in Figure 1. Likewise, in this posi-, tion; a projection 52 formed on arm 8 stops against flange 56. I

Upon clockwise oscillation of bail 22 by the downward movement of link I5, as before described, link 43 rocks bell crank 45 clockwise on pivot 41, swinging pin 5| away from the left end of slot-52, thus permitting pitman 53 to move toward the right. At the beginning of this rightward movement, arm 8 swings clockwise about shaft 5 and, as projection 5| moves away from flange 56, pawl engages the teeth of wheel 1 under tension of spring 55.

Upon counter-clockwise oscillation of bail 22, as link l5 moves upwardly, an exact reverse movement of these parts takes place, pin 5| again engaging the left end of slot 52 and pulling pitman 52 towardthe left, back to the normal position shown in Figure 1. At the end ofthis leftward stroke, projection ll again engages flange ll, withdrawing pawl II from engagement with the teeth of wheel I. Shortly thereafter, projection 52 of arm 5 stops against flange 55 and prevents possible overthrow of the parts incident to the sudden leftward thrust of pitman 52.

Single line spacing Means is provided to control the number of teeth over which pawl II will pass during the movement of pitman 53 in order to regulate line space movement of the paper. This means includes a lever 52 pivoted at 54 on plate 4. A pin 55 fixed on the lower end of the lever is arranged to be moved into either of two positions, and a spring pulled detent t5 cooperating with a pin 51 on the lever is arranged to hold the lever in either of its adjusted positions.

Whenthe lever is moved from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2, pin 55 lies in the horizontal plane of a shoulder 58 formed on the lower edge of pitman.

53. With the lever adjusted in such position, when the machine is cycled, as pitman 53 moves toward the right, shoulder 55 stops against pin 55, limiting the extent of its movement, this extent of movement being just sufficient to permit pawl I to engage one tooth of wheel I, as shown in Figure 2. The elongated slot 52 in pitman ll permits idleriding movement of pin 5| during such operations.

Upon the subsequent restoration of the parts during the last half of the cycle, as described in the foregoing, pawl rotates platen 5 one line space before it is disengaged by projection ll striking flange 55.

Multiple line spacing In order to effect a multiple line space operation, it is only necessary for the operator to shift lever 52 from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 1, moving pin 55 from the horizontal plane of shoulder 58 into the horizontal plane of a shoulder 1|. Now,upon cycling the machine, pitman 53 is permitted to travel a considerable distance further to the right until shoulder H stops against pin 55, a declivity 58 in the left end of slot 52 permitting further but idle movement of pin 5| following the stopping of pitman 53. This distance of travel is sufllcient to permit pawl II to pass over a number of teeth of wheel 1 (herein shown as six teeth in Figure 3) and engage the last tooth of said number. Consequently, upon restoration of the parts during the second half of the cycle, platen 5 is rotated a commensurate numberof line spaces when pitman 53 moves toward the left.

At the completion of such operation, projection 5| again stops against flange 55 to withdraw pawl H from engagement with the ratchet teeth, and likewise projection 62 strikes the flange to prevent overthrow of pitman 53.

A spring held roller detent 12 pivoted at II on plate 4 engages the teeth of wheel I to hold the platen securely in advanced position.

It will be noted that at the end of each line space operation, or rather whenever the parts are in normal position as shown in Figure l, pawl II is automatically disengaged from the vice versa, it is only necessary to manipulate lever 63.

Preventing line spacing Mechanism similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 2,027,572 is provided on this machine to prevent line spacing operations in certain of the columns. For this purpose (Figure l) a slide 14 (similar to the slide 39 in the aforementioned patent) is mounted in the machine frame for horizontal transverse movement. On one end of the slide is a pin which, in one position of slide 14, lies beneath a lug 16 on link l5. Slide 14 may be reciprocated by any preferred means, as, for example, that disclosed in the Sundstrand Patent No. 1,779,717, dated October 28, 1930.

When pin 15 lies beneath lug 16, as lever l3 swings in the counter-clockwise direction, lug I6 is detained by pin 15, and pin I6 moves down in the slots l7 and 34 past the opening 35 before the movement of stud 4| releases latch 32 to the action of spring 36; hence, link 45 is prevented from descending far enough to impart effective movement to pawl II, and no feeding movement takes place. During such an operation, slots l1 and 34 being in parallel uniform alignment and concentric with the axis l4, pin l6 rides idly within the slots. Upon removal of pin 15 from beneath lug 76, the machine is ready to perform its usual line space operations in accordance with the adjustment of the regulating lever 63.

It has been found in practice that this general construction insures positive, uniform and constant multiple as well as single line spacing operations.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a shaft,

a platen thereon, and a line spacing mechanism therefor, including a ratchet wheel connected to the shaft, an arm pivoted on the shaft and carrying a pawl to cooperate with the ratchet wheel, an actuator having a constant advance and return movement, means, including a pitman, connected to thearm and to the actuator, means normally urging the pitman to follow the actu ator in its advance movement to impart movement to the arm, shoulders on the pitman, spaced apart to determine different stopping positions for the pitman, and a manipulative stop movable into the path of either of the shoulders to arrest the advance movement of the pitman, to control the advance of the pawl.

2. In a machine of the class described, a shaft, a platen thereon, and a line spacing mechanism therefor, including'a ratchet wheel connected to the shaft, an arm pivoted on the shaft, a pawl. pivoted on the arm and adapted to engage the ratchet wheel, an actuator having a constant advance and return movement, a pin on the actuator, a pitman having an opening in one end embracing the pin, and being connected to the arm at the opposite end, means normally urging one end of the opening against the pin so that as the pin moves, during the advance movement of the actuator, a movement is imparted to the pitman, means for stopping the pitman at different points in its advance movement to stop the movement 'of the pawl with respect to the teeth of the ratchet wheel, said opening having a configuration to accommodate movement of the actuator for the portion of its advancing movement that follows the stopping of the pitman in its advanced position.

i WALTER A. ANDERSON. 

